Rumi Kumari Phukan, J.

A news item titled “Hospital attacks Dona's parents (punish the baby killers)” was published in The Times of India in the issue dated 15.09.2003 in the front page which is extracted as below :-

“Guwahati : The Wintorbe Hospital authorities are coming up bizarre explanation to wriggle out the case of concerning death of 3½ years old Shristi Chetri or Dona. The child died at the Wintrobe hospital on August 31. The hospital authorities have gone to the extent of levelling charges of negligence towards the girl child by the parents.

The Managing Director of the Hospital Tridib Baruah told TNN on Sunday, Vimal Chetri and his wife (Dona's parents) did not want Dona who had a congenial heart disease to survive because she was a girl. When Dona was brought to the hospital on August 31 around 1 pm she was gasping her breath. She was in last stage.

Enquiries reveal that Dona was diagnosed with ventricular Special defect (VSD) when she was just 15 days old. No person with such complication can survive without surgical intervention. Dona's parents had been advised by Doctors, relatives and parents to go for the necessary operation, Baruah said.

In mid-Augu